Hi all,
I'm new around here but need some advice. Basically, my second supervisor was meant to do references for some post-doc application that I was submitting. I asked him in good time before, and he said that's fine.  The first one was due a week ago. I sent him all the details beforehand so he knew what he was expected to do. In the actual event, he e-mailed me 1 hour before the application was due, having not read what he was meant to supply, essentially panicking that he had none of the info he needed and asking me to help him. So I did that and he submitted the reference with literally 30 seconds to go, after I'd had a near heart attack! I was doubtful that the reference would be that good, how could it be when it was rushed, but at least it got done.

Then one week later the next application needed a reference. He could have used the same one. I discover he hadn't uploaded this either so I e-mailed him the day before reminding him (he'd already had a reminder a week before). I got an auto-reply, he was on holiday. I sent him another email the next day, just in case he checked his email but of course, it was useless.  The application was submitted,but as he hadn't done the reference it was no good. The uni I was applying to made it quite clear in the smal print that with a missing reference it wouldn't be considered.

So, I'm very upset that I wasted all that time, and my main supervisor's time, doing this application.  I'll never know now how far I would have got with the application either.

Does anyone know what a supervisor's responsibilities are about references? Has anyone had a similar experience? Or does anyone just have some advice. To be honest, I don't think I'm this guy's top priority, or indeed any sort of priority, so that's why he completely forgot.

Thanks everyone,
P.